Yusaku Imamura Director of Tokyo Wonder Site Director, Tokyo Wonder Site
When choosing works by young Artist, there are some who are focused and fixated on something, even if they are young. The most thrilling moment is when you feel the intensity of that commitment. I search deeply and deeply, relying only on myself. That's why you can find something. I would like to share a little bit of that journey with you and support you. As I look at the works of young artists in a screening like this, the most thrilling moment is when I find someone who possesses clear focus and then discover the artist's assertiveness. I realize that an artist's pursuit of creativity is a fairly solitary job. and there's a kind of inspiration that can only be discovered after a long and lonely struggle. This is why I like to share in and support their undertakings.
Yukie Kamiya Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art Chief Curator Chief Curator, Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art
I was able to witness with thrill the powerful proposal that was the culmination of my thoughts and practices at art university, where I faced my inner self through creation. In this space, which is not enclosed for the purpose of art, and appears in the midst of people passing by on the street, we considered the social nature of individual expression and judged it. I was extremely excited to see a number of convincing pieces. Each constitutes a capstone imbued with ideas and practices the art student accumulated throughout her/his university days. I imagine they strove to create these pieces, wracking their brains in the process of their artistic inquiry, to directly reach their own answers. As a judge, I place emphasis on how effectively an artwork relates with society when it's displayed openly in the public sphere, without the enclosure of a gallery. Given the remarkable individuality of those pieces, it was interesting to think about what impressions they would make on the general public's mind.
Shigeo Goto Editor, Creative Director, Kyoto University of Art and Design Professor Editor, Creative Director, Professor, Kyoto University of Art and Design
Art sharply reflects the times. Dilution would be one parameter. Rather than condemning the dilution of physicality, politics, and historicity, The real thing is to look forward to the future of art by facing this fact. That was the key finding throughout the 2015 review. Art clearly reflects the era. I think “dilution” is one parameter that helps prove the connection between these two things. I say, however, the watering down of physical, political and historical messages in artworks should not be condemned. Rather, I believe that we must confront this fact face to face to foresee the future of art in a real sense. That was my important take away from involvement in the 2015 screening.
Tomio Koyama Representative of Tomio Koyama Gallery, Specially Appointed Associate Professor, Faculty of Global Japanese Studies, Meiji University Director, Tomio Koyama Gallery, and Associate Professor, School of Global Japanese Studies, Meiji University
Lately, I feel like there's been little thinking about challenging the history of art as a whole. However, the game nature and individuality became more and more maniacal, I want to explore the possibility of building something that transcends time and history and reaches society. Overall, I see that very few recent art pieces reflect the creator's determination to cope with the challenge of remaking the history of art with variation. On the other hand, there is a strong insistence on communicating their own individual preferences, with the feeling of “playing a game” being reflected in some pieces. I rather expect this insistence will drive the creation of future art, which will, in turn, become timeless, trans-historical masterpieces that can influence society.
Akiya Takahashi Akiya Takahashi Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Tokyo Director Director, Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Tokyo
By moving Venue to the 1st floor Marunouchi Bldg., the number of works has increased to include three-dimensional and three-dimensional installations. Naturally, the range of expression seems to have expanded greatly. Of course, this was caused by the physical conditions of Venue, and was not related to the essence of the artists. Still, this year, more than ever before, we will be able to enjoy the diverse expressions of young Artist living today. The venue of this exhibit was moved to the first floor of the Marunouchi Building. As a result, the event picked up a greater number of three-dimensional pieces and installations. Naturally, this seemed to significantly expand the range of expression in each piece. This consequence was, of course, just a result of the change in physical surroundings. It may not be crucial to artists, but I suppose it will be exciting for viewers to see breathalyzer variety in the expression of these artworks by contemporary young artists.
Akira Tatehata President of Tama Art University, Director of the Museum of Modern Art, Saitama President, Tama Art University, and Director, The Museum of Modern Art, Saitama
For better or for worse, expressions that can be called the standard of contemporary art are becoming established, and we were able to find quite a few works with extremely unique commitments among the candidates this time. This is a happy fact. I hope that new horizons will be opened up by them. In the field of contemporary art, expression has become more and more uniform in both positive and negative ways. Despite this trend, more than a few of these artworks display their creator's strong insistence on individuality. This was a great pleasure to see. I expect these artists will be future pioneers who blaze new paths.
Reiichi Noguchi Reiichi Noguchi Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Tokyo Head of Curatorial Group Chief Curator, Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Tokyo
It made me realize once again how difficult it is to create something now. You can fill the space by gathering some information and images. But whether it is persuasive or not is another matter. I thought that some artists had grasped their own unique methods and were able to create earnest expressions. The 2015 screening reminded me of how difficult art creation is today. People are surrounded by information and images, so makeshift pieces can be created by just filling a space. But this doesn't naturally lead to convincing work. In this light, some artists seemed to have mastered their own technique to create pieces with compelling expression.
